This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Toronto Blue Jays hammered by Oakland Athletics in 16-0 loss

Toronto Blue Jays pitchers Brett Cecil, from left, and Aaron Laffey watch the horror on the field along with catcher J.P. Arencibia, who joins slugger Jose Bautista on the disabled list after suffering a broken hand, in a 16-0 loss to the Athletics at Rogers Centre Wednesday. (VINCE TALOTTA / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

By Brendan KennedySports Reporter

Thu., July 26, 2012

“Complete embarrassment.”

That’s how Ricky Romero summed up his performance Wednesday, after he gave up eight runs in just 1 1/3 innings.

“This team plays their asses off every night and for me to come out and have this type of performance it’s kind of tough to look my teammates in the eye right now.”

This has already been a long season for Romero, perhaps the worst of his career.

The Blue Jays’ supposed ace has already allowed more earned runs than he did all of last season and he’s on pace for career lows in virtually all statistical categories. He’s giving up more hits, more walks, and more home runs, while striking out fewer batters, than ever before.

But on Wednesday against Oakland, Romero’s season-long struggles plummeted to a new low, and he brought the Jays along with him. Oakland humiliated Toronto 16-0, setting a club record for futility as the worst shutout loss in Jays’ history.

It was the shortest outing of Romero’s four-year career. He has lost six in a row, while his ERA has grown to a ghastly 5.75, among the highest in the league.

Worst of all, he looks completely lost and nobody within the organization seems to have a clue about how to fix him.

“We’ve got to work to get him right, there’s no question about it,” manager John Farrell said. “We’ve talked a lot about what his frame of mind is, and yet we’ve got to work to rebuild that to get him on track.”

Romero’s teammates, deflated by a nine-run deficit before most of them even had a turn at the plate, offered meek support, posting just five hits on the night.

It all turned extra embarrassing in the ninth, when catcher Jeff Mathis made his second relief appearance this season, giving up three hits and two runs as A’s players half-heartedly jogged around the bases — almost embarrassed to score.

The club’s injury woes also worsened on Wednesday when catcher J.P. Arencibia — who had homered in his last three games and was batting .321 in July — suffered a broken right hand on a foul tip. He joins Jose Bautista and nine pitchers on the Jays’ disabled list. Arencibia will not require surgery but will likely be out at least six weeks.

“It’s tough, because I was doing my best to fill-in for (Bautista),” Arencibia said after the game. “ ... But this team is resilient and I know that they’ll find a way to bounce back with or without me.”

Mathis will serve as the team’s interim catcher, with utility player Yan Gomes as backup. This could have been the perfect opportunity to debut the club’s top-ranked prospect, catcher Travis d’Arnaud, but d’Arnaud suffered a knee injury last month and is likely out for the remainder of the season. With the win, Oakland — unlikely holders of the AL’s second wild-card spot — extend their winning streak to seven games. They are 16-2 in July and unquestionably the hottest team in baseball.

But Romero and the Jays beat themselves on Wednesday.

As has been the case so many times this season, walks were Romero’s worst enemy.

He issued two free passes in the first and four more in the second, including one intentional and one with the bases loaded. The A’s first three runs reached base by way of a base on balls.

Romero, who has the second-highest walk rate in the majors — 5.3 for every nine innings — threw barely more than half of his 66 pitches for strikes on Wednesday. He also has the second-worst first-pitch strike rate in the majors.

With recently acquired starting pitcher J.A. Happ currently biding his time in the Jays’ bullpen, it may be time for the Jays to skip Romero’s next start.

Rotation replacements Aaron Laffey, Carlos Villanueva and Brett Cecil have all earned their opportunities, while Romero has arguably been the Jays least-reliable starter this season.

“Could it be considered? Sure, with J.A. Happ being here,” Farrell said. “But we haven’t had those discussions yet.”

It would be a dramatic move to sit, or send to the minors, the club’s Opening Day starter, but it may be what’s necessary to correct whatever it is that ails him.

Romero isn’t the only former all-star struggling this season. He’s joined at the bottom of the major-league leaderboards by recent Cy Young winners Tim Lincecum and Jon Lester.

Like those pitchers, the problem with Romero has been his inability to command the strike zone. Also like Lincecum and Lester, the obstacle with Romero is believed to be mental. In every case, answers have been elusive.

Farrell said there’s no “magic potion” to fix his struggling ace, but they will review video of this fateful start and try to figure out what his problem is.

“This isn’t like flipping on a switch. This is going to take some time, it’s going to take some work.”

After the game the Jays sent reliever Chad Beck back to Triple-A Las Vegas, and recalled left-hander Evan Crawford and right-hander Joel Carreno.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com